EUhttp://theasianpost.co.uk
The Asian PostFri, 22 Feb 2019 12:16:00 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6EU MEPs ask India to stop atrocities in Kashmirhttp://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-meps-ask-india-to-stop-atrocities-in-kashmir/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-meps-ask-india-to-stop-atrocities-in-kashmir/#respondWed, 20 Feb 2019 17:39:36 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=45119BRUSSELS: An overwhelming majority of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) attending a landmark event on the rights situation in occupied Kashmir on Tuesday put their weight behind the recommendations of a United Nations report on the state of human rights in the valley, and called on India to immediately halt its atrocities in Kashmir, ...

BRUSSELS: An overwhelming majority of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) attending a landmark event on the rights situation in occupied Kashmir on Tuesday put their weight behind the recommendations of a United Nations report on the state of human rights in the valley, and called on India to immediately halt its atrocities in Kashmir, the Foreign Office said in a press release on Wednesday.

In a significant development, the European Parliament’s sub-committee on human rights hosted an official exchange of views on the situation of human rights in Indian-administrated Kashmir. It is the first time since 2007 that the issue of Kashmir has been discussed publicly at an official European Union (EU) forum, the FO said.

Members of European Parliament called on India to immediately put a halt to its atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir and carry out investigations into the incidents of grave human rights violations. pic.twitter.com/MIbrRULsqJ

The discussion focused on the June 2018 report of the United Nations’ Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) on Kashmir. Christine Chung, one of the authors of the report was invited to the event by the sub-committee.

In her comments, she highlighted the dire human rights situation in the Indian-administrated Kashmir and reiterated the OHCHR’s recommendations for establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive and independent international investigation of human rights violations in Kashmir, the FO said.

Sub-committee Chair Pier Antonio Panzeri in his opening remarks expressed the EU’s commitment to uphold and protect human rights throughout the world. The EU, he said, had never shied away from discussing human rights, even when it involved complex political issues.

He pointed out that the issue of Kashmir was the longest unresolved issue on the agenda of the United Nations, and that the EU believes that dialogue among nations is necessary to resolve such issues.

He, however, pointed out that the event was focused on the human rights situation in Kashmir and the plight of Kashmiris.

Besides Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium, the European Union and Luxembourg Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi, the debate was attended by a large number of MEPs, human rights representatives and civil society organisations, think tanks, diplomats from various countries and members of Kashmiri diaspora across Europe.

The overwhelming majority of these members rallied behind the recommendations of the OHCHR report and called for their full implementation.

They called on India to immediately put a halt to its atrocities in occupied Kashmir and carry out investigations into the incidents of grave human rights violations.

The MEPs also highlighted the need for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue between Pakistan and India, and with full participation of Kashmiri people.

The event is a huge diplomatic success for Pakistan as it is the first time in more than a decade that the EU has officially organised an event on Kashmir, where Islamabad’s concerns regarding India’s human rights violations in occupied Kashmir have been discussed.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-meps-ask-india-to-stop-atrocities-in-kashmir/feed/0EU signatories of Nuclear Deal are deceiving Tehran: Khameneihttp://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-signatories-of-nuclear-deal-are-deceiving-tehran-khamenei/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-signatories-of-nuclear-deal-are-deceiving-tehran-khamenei/#respondTue, 19 Feb 2019 06:07:43 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44988TEHRAN: At the same time, European signatories to the deal, striving to preserve the accord, were recently slammed by US Vice President Mike Pence, who stated that they were “undermining the US sanctions”. A day before, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the EU’s current efforts are insufficient to maintain the Iranian Nuclear Deal. ...

TEHRAN: At the same time, European signatories to the deal, striving to preserve the accord, were recently slammed by US Vice President Mike Pence, who stated that they were “undermining the US sanctions”.

A day before, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the EU’s current efforts are insufficient to maintain the Iranian Nuclear Deal.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Monday that European signatories of the nuclear deal were deceiving Tehran, a local TV broadcasted cited the official as saying.

“America’s enmity towards Iran is obvious. Our enemies’ heart is full of enmity towards the Islamic Republic… our officials should not be deceived by the Europeans… don’t be fooled by Europeans,” Khamenei said.

He also warned the officials and advised them “to exercise caution [in dealing with Europe] so that they will not be tricked by them and cause problems for the country.”

His remark comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Sunday that Tehran couldn’t act as the only side that’s trying to preserve the accord, therefore, Europe needed “to get wet if it wants to swim against the dangerous tide of US unilateralism”.

Prior to that, US Vice President Mike Pence said that the EU should withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and stop circumventing the US’ reinstated sanctions against Tehran.

At present, Iran is engaged in talks with the EU bloc as they work on creating a trade mechanism that would allow the parties to continue trade relations amid US sanctions.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/eu-signatories-of-nuclear-deal-are-deceiving-tehran-khamenei/feed/0Mogherini, Zarif agree to work together for further implementation of INSTEXhttp://theasianpost.co.uk/mogherini-zarif-agree-to-work-together-for-further-implementation-of-instex/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/mogherini-zarif-agree-to-work-together-for-further-implementation-of-instex/#respondSat, 16 Feb 2019 17:58:41 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44882EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif at a meeting expressed their commitment to cooperate for further implementation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), which allows bypassing US sanctions, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement. “They discussed the state of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive ...

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif at a meeting expressed their commitment to cooperate for further implementation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), which allows bypassing US sanctions, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement.

“They discussed the state of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The High Representative reiterated the EU’s firm determination to preserve the JCPOA, which continues to deliver on its objectives and is crucial for both regional and global security. She also underlined the need for continued full and effective implementation of the deal by all parties, and in this regard both High Representative Mogherini and Minister Zarif discussed the recent registration of INSTEX in France and committed to work together for its further operationalization,” the statement, published after the talks on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, read.

The diplomats also addressed human rights and Middle Eastern crises.

In late January, Germany, France and the United Kingdom said they had set up INSTEX which would initially deal with food and medicine.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/mogherini-zarif-agree-to-work-together-for-further-implementation-of-instex/feed/0Brussels mulls adding Saudi Arabia to EU dirty money blacklisthttp://theasianpost.co.uk/brussels-mulls-adding-saudi-arabia-to-eu-dirty-money-blacklist/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/brussels-mulls-adding-saudi-arabia-to-eu-dirty-money-blacklist/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 17:20:45 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44794BRUSSELS: The European Commission proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the European Union’s (EU) money laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crime. The new countries targeted by the commission, including Saudi Arabia and Panama, would join another 16 already on this register – ...

BRUSSELS: The European Commission proposed adding seven countries including Saudi Arabia to the European Union’s (EU) money laundering blacklist of governments that do too little to thwart the financing of terrorism and organised crime.

The new countries targeted by the commission, including Saudi Arabia and Panama, would join another 16 already on this register – such as Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Ethiopia and North Korea. The EU list is mostly based on criteria used by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global body composed by wealthy nations meant to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

“The Commission concluded that 23 countries have strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing regimes. This includes 12 countries listed by the Financial Action Task Force and 11 additional jurisdictions. Some of the countries listed today are already on the current EU list, which includes 16 countries,” a press release issued by the commission read.

The move comes as tensions between Riyadh and European capitals are heightened over the murder last year of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament and the 28 member states, with France and Britain against the new list.

Inclusion on the list does not trigger sanctions but it does oblige European banks to apply tighter controls on transactions with customers and institutions in those countries.

“We have put in place the highest standards in the world in the fight against money laundering,” said European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova. “But we must ensure that dirty money from other countries does not end up in our financial system,” she told a press conference at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. “Dirty money is the driving force behind organised crime and terrorism,” Jourova continued, urging countries on the list to ‘quickly remedy their shortcomings’.

A diplomat said objections to the new list were not linked to fallout from the Khashoggi murder and a desire to appease Saudi Arabia. There isn’t an opposition to the addition of a particular country but concerns over the ‘methodology’ used, they said.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/brussels-mulls-adding-saudi-arabia-to-eu-dirty-money-blacklist/feed/0British Airways stops selling its shares to outside EU citizenshttp://theasianpost.co.uk/british-airways-stops-selling-its-shares-to-outside-eu-citizens/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/british-airways-stops-selling-its-shares-to-outside-eu-citizens/#respondTue, 12 Feb 2019 18:30:58 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44688LONDON: The parent company of British Airways and Iberia has stopped the sales of its stock to investors outside of the European Union. EU-ownership rules dictate that more than half of an airline’s stock must be held by shareholders that are based within the economic bloc. International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) was at risk of ...

LONDON: The parent company of British Airways and Iberia has stopped the sales of its stock to investors outside of the European Union.

EU-ownership rules dictate that more than half of an airline’s stock must be held by shareholders that are based within the economic bloc.

International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) was at risk of breaching that level with 47.5 percent of shares now held by non-EU citizens. Qatar Airways holds almost half of the non-EU allowance with its 22 percent stake in the group.

The filing to the market was released late Monday. Shortly before midday London time on Tuesday, AIG’s stock was languishing toward the bottom of the FTSE 100, more than 1 percent lower.

The restriction on British Airways is likely to become even more complicated when Brexit is enacted at the end of next month.

After the U.K. leaves the European Union, U.K. shareholders in airlines will no longer count toward the required 50 percent minimum EU ownership.

IAG, Ryanair and easyJet could reportedly attempt to comply with the ownership rules by ensuring that when British investors sell stock, it is immediately bought by EU investors.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/british-airways-stops-selling-its-shares-to-outside-eu-citizens/feed/0Danske scandal: EU needs stronger anti-fraud curbs, says lawmakerhttp://theasianpost.co.uk/danske-scandal-eu-needs-stronger-anti-fraud-curbs-says-lawmaker/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/danske-scandal-eu-needs-stronger-anti-fraud-curbs-says-lawmaker/#respondSat, 09 Feb 2019 17:46:21 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44520COPENHAGEN: The European Union needs tougher anti-fraud controls including a central body able to enforce laws against money laundering, European lawmakers said, describing financial crime as as a security problem for the continent. Curbs should be more uniform across the EU and its framework for swapping financial intelligence is inadequate and must improve, the European ...

COPENHAGEN: The European Union needs tougher anti-fraud controls including a central body able to enforce laws against money laundering, European lawmakers said, describing financial crime as as a security problem for the continent.

Curbs should be more uniform across the EU and its framework for swapping financial intelligence is inadequate and must improve, the European Parliament’s tax crime committee added.

Europe has been hit by money laundering scandals in recent months, including a major one at Danske Bank’s, the collapse of Latvia’s ABLV Bank, the closure of Malta’s Pilatus Bank and a 775 million euro fine imposed on Dutch lender ING.

The Financial Intelligence Units of many EU member states are “clearly not up to the task”, committee chairman Petr Jezek told a news conference in Copenhagen.

“They do not have enough personnel or resources. In some countries their independence is also in question. This (proposed change) will certainly improve the situation,” he said.

The committee has been in Estonia and Denmark this week to meet regulators, prosecutors and Danske Bank’s new management to gather material for a report with proposals for new EU legislation to combat financial crime.

There has in the past been resistance from some member states against tougher and more centralised fraud controls, especially from those states that have worked as tax havens.

The recent scandals could however mean that those times are over, said committee spokesman Jeppe Kofod.

“Something is starting to happen,” Kofod told Reuters on the sidelines of the news conference.

“Because everyone can see that, contrary to the United States, Europe has become the first destination for laundered crime money from Russia and other former Soviet Union states, and that is a problem for our security in Europe,” he said.

Danske Bank is being investigated in Denmark, Estonia, Britain, United States, and from Thursday also France, over suspicious payments totalling 200 billion euros ($228 billion) made through its tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/danske-scandal-eu-needs-stronger-anti-fraud-curbs-says-lawmaker/feed/0Norway, Iceland, UK agree on citizens’ rights in case of no-deal Brexithttp://theasianpost.co.uk/norway-iceland-uk-agree-on-citizens-rights-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/norway-iceland-uk-agree-on-citizens-rights-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit/#respondSat, 09 Feb 2019 11:38:42 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44508LONDON: An agreement reached at the end of 2018 will be signed “in the event that the UK leaves the EU with a withdrawal agreement”, the Icelandic Government said, adding that citizens’ residence rights will be secure “regardless of the outcome of the negotiations between the EU and the UK”. The UK and EEA EFTA ...

LONDON: An agreement reached at the end of 2018 will be signed “in the event that the UK leaves the EU with a withdrawal agreement”, the Icelandic Government said, adding that citizens’ residence rights will be secure “regardless of the outcome of the negotiations between the EU and the UK”.

The UK and EEA EFTA countries such as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, reached and agreement on citizens rights if the UK crashes out without a withdrawal agreement, the Government Offices of Iceland said in a press release.

“The agreement protects the rights of EEA EFTA citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the EEA EFTA states, providing certainty that they can continue to do so in the event of a no-deal Brexit,” the Icelandic Government continued. The agreement will uphold UK prime minister Theresa May’s commitment from October 2018, the UK government said in a statement on Friday.

, adding that it had published a separation agreement with EEA EFTA states detailing “citizens’ rights as well as other separation issues”, which will apply if the European Union agrees to the UK Withdrawal Agreement and mirrors the arrangements already made with the EU.

“Together these agreements will provide EEA EFTA nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EEA EFTA states with certainty about their rights going forward, ensuring that they can continue living their lives broadly as they do now,” the UK government statement said.

The UK government also published an accompanying explainer which separates citizens rights into three parts, with the first binding the UK and EEA EFTA states to “a duty of good faith” which urges deeper cooperation between the UK and EEA EFTA states on “carrying out the tasks set out” from the agreement.

The second covers eligibility and scope of citizens’ rights, rights related to residence in the UK, the rights of workers’ and the self-employed, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, among others.

The third establishes a Joint Committee “ responsible for the implementation and application of the agreement”, in addition to mitigating disputes and ratifying agreements.

Mrs May is battling to secure the terms of the UK withdrawal agreement before the 29 March deadline after Commons voted it down 432-202 in a historic defeat on 15 January. After further talks, the UK Prime Minister issued a joint statement with European Commission president Jean-Claude Junker on 7 February, stating that talks “held in a spirit of working together to achieve the UK’s orderly withdrawal from the EU”, including the Commons vote on changes to the terms of the Irish backstop on 29 January and concerns on the Withdrawal agreement.

But President Junker said that the EU27 will not renegotiate Mrs. May’s Brexit agreement and that the European Parliament and EU27 would have to agree on future solutions. The two parties have agreed to meet at the end of February to continue negotiations.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/norway-iceland-uk-agree-on-citizens-rights-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit/feed/0‘Special place in Hell’ for Brexiteers: EU leaderhttp://theasianpost.co.uk/special-place-in-hell-for-brexiteers-eu-leader/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/special-place-in-hell-for-brexiteers-eu-leader/#respondThu, 07 Feb 2019 06:51:00 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44368PARIS: European Union leader Donald Tusk on Wednesday condemned those calling for Brexit with no idea how to carry it out, saying he hopes Theresa May now has a “realistic” plan. The British prime minister is due in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways to ensure Britain’s orderly withdrawal from the EU and avoid what ...

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/special-place-in-hell-for-brexiteers-eu-leader/feed/0Apple agrees 500-mln-euro tax settlement with Francehttp://theasianpost.co.uk/apple-agrees-500-mln-euro-tax-settlement-with-france/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/apple-agrees-500-mln-euro-tax-settlement-with-france/#respondWed, 06 Feb 2019 11:05:58 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44299PARIS: Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants. French news weekly L’Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ...

PARIS: Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants.

French news weekly L’Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ($570 million) to resolve the case in a confidential settlement reached in December.

Apple declined to disclose the amount paid, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the figure to AFP.

“The French tax administration recently concluded a multi-year audit on the company’s French accounts and an adjustment will be published in our public accounts,” Apple said in a statement.

“We know the important role taxes play in society and we pay our taxes in all the countries where we operate, in complete conformity with laws and practices in force at the local level,” added the company.

French authorities declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of tax matters.

French tech tax looms

Apple is one of several American technology giants in the line of fire in Europe over their tax strategies, which see them route their income through low-tax nations such as Ireland or Luxembourg.

In 2016, it was ordered by the European Commission to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland.

The European Commission said Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 — equivalent to just 50 euros for every million.

The deal in France comes as the government prepares to push ahead with its own unilateral “GAFA tax” — named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon — faced with the failure of EU members to agree on how to get technology companies to pay more tax on their European operations.

The tax, to be put to parliament in a bill later this month, would affect companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros and 25 million euros in France, according to the government.

It would be retroactive to January 1 and is expected to raise 500 million euros this year.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called the question of how and where global companies pay their taxes “a major issue in the 21st century”.

But an agreement among EU members has proved elusive.

Ireland, Denmark and Sweden have all blocked plans for a levy for fear of dissuading investment and Germany has proved lukewarm on the issue, fearing US retaliation against its car industry.

The issue has been referred to the OECD, which aims to come up with an international tax by 2020.

]]>http://theasianpost.co.uk/apple-agrees-500-mln-euro-tax-settlement-with-france/feed/0Germany’s Merkel says ‘still time’ to find Brexit solutionhttp://theasianpost.co.uk/germanys-merkel-says-still-time-to-find-brexit-solution/
http://theasianpost.co.uk/germanys-merkel-says-still-time-to-find-brexit-solution/#respondWed, 06 Feb 2019 05:49:10 +0000http://theasianpost.co.uk/?p=44297TOKYO: There is still time to find a solution to Britain’s exit from the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, voicing optimism on a political deal over the tricky “backstop” that has stymied progress. Speaking to Japanese and German business leaders in Tokyo, Merkel stressed that “on the one hand, time is pressing” and ...

TOKYO: There is still time to find a solution to Britain’s exit from the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, voicing optimism on a political deal over the tricky “backstop” that has stymied progress.

Speaking to Japanese and German business leaders in Tokyo, Merkel stressed that “on the one hand, time is pressing” and businesses using “just-in-time” delivery processes could not afford lengthy customs procedures.

However, she added: “From a political point of view, there is still time. Two months is not a long time but there is still time, and this should be used by all sides.”

Britain is poised to leave the EU at the end of March following a 2016 referendum.

The backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border with Ireland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to EU customs rules.

She said the issue with the backstop was a “problem that is precisely defined and therefore one should be able to find a precisely defined solution”.

“But this solution depends on the question of what the future relationship between Britain and the EU will be like and what type of trade deal we sign with each other,” added the chancellor.

Throwing the ball into London’s court, she stressed: “It will be very important for us to know what exactly the British side sees as its future relationship with the EU.”

After meeting Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe Monday, she urged “creativity” and “goodwill” to find a solution.

However, she was clear that any solution could only come via the political declaration attached to the withdrawal agreement – rather than re-opening talks on the actual exit deal.

There are concerns in London that any tweaks to the political declaration will not be legally binding.

Her Monday comments were seen as conciliatory and boosted the pound as British Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to engage in further talks with EU officials to break the Brexit deadlock as the exit date approaches.

A top EU official, however, sounded the alarm bell after talks with British MPs.

Martin Selmayr, the right-hand man of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said the meeting had confirmed the view that the EU was right to start in December 2017 preparations for a “no-deal” Brexit.

Merkel said relations between Britain and the EU bloc were currently strong and would remain that way.